Software Developers
Median $135,980
Occupation · SOC 15-1251
Computer Programmers: pay and where the jobs are
What computer programmers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$100,390 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $105,170
- Median hourly wage
- $48.26
- Mean hourly wage
- $50.56
- Employment
- 92,230
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-1251.
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See where your pay falls among computer programmers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do computer programmers make?
The median annual wage for computer programmers was $100,390 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $57,710 and the highest-paid 10% more than $160,460. As an hourly rate, the median is $48.26. About 92,230 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Connecticut ($133,820), Massachusetts ($128,390) and Washington ($125,620). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Arkansas.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for computer programmers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,710 | $27.74 | $4,809 | $4,046 |
| 25th percentile | $75,850 | $36.47 | $6,321 | $5,183 |
| Median | $100,390 | $48.26 | $8,366 | $6,621 |
| 75th percentile | $130,680 | $62.83 | $10,890 | $8,382 |
| 90th percentile | $160,460 | $77.15 | $13,372 | $10,078 |
Computer Programmers: pay by state
47 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$96,129 take-home in national prices
2
$91,964 take-home in national prices
3
$89,134 take-home in national prices
Where a median computer programmer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1,650 | $133,820 | $82,110 | $141,920 | $95,284 | $91,964 |
| Massachusetts | 1,930 | $128,390 | $77,060 | $168,310 | $92,230 | $87,210 |
| Washington | 2,540 | $125,620 | $84,760 | $166,400 | $95,385 | $89,134 |
| Maryland | 2,490 | $125,570 | $74,470 | $158,880 | $91,327 | $87,012 |
| Virginia | 3,070 | $121,610 | $67,010 | $182,890 | $88,204 | $87,241 |
| Hawaii | 450 | $118,180 | $75,450 | $151,820 | $84,402 | $76,763 |
| California | 11,340 | $116,760 | $70,310 | $172,300 | $82,839 | $74,819 |
| Arkansas | 1,050 | $111,840 | $63,520 | $167,020 | $83,572 | $96,129 |
| Minnesota | 2,070 | $107,250 | $52,740 | $125,300 | $78,039 | $79,130 |
| New Jersey | 3,930 | $104,940 | $65,000 | $172,990 | $77,529 | $71,255 |
| Utah | 690 | $104,890 | $62,930 | $134,010 | $77,953 | $78,848 |
| Colorado | 930 | $104,610 | $68,320 | $199,830 | $78,068 | $75,756 |
| New York | 7,020 | $103,980 | $65,970 | $172,020 | $76,442 | $70,832 |
| Maine | 450 | $101,780 | $72,930 | $191,670 | $74,667 | $76,937 |
| Oklahoma | 990 | $99,780 | $63,110 | $249,600 | $75,081 | $85,471 |
| South Carolina | 790 | $99,740 | $63,130 | $135,250 | $74,767 | $79,752 |
| Oregon | 1,370 | $99,540 | $77,080 | $143,450 | $71,152 | $68,838 |
| Texas | 7,620 | $99,330 | $60,120 | $143,300 | $78,709 | $81,095 |
| Georgia | 1,890 | $98,380 | $65,080 | $138,320 | $73,880 | $76,724 |
| Indiana | 1,520 | $97,000 | $67,360 | $135,880 | $74,238 | $79,544 |
| Rhode Island | 250 | $96,470 | $69,780 | $144,480 | $72,635 | $71,016 |
| Nebraska | 1,090 | $95,150 | $61,680 | $154,500 | $72,318 | $80,262 |
| Kentucky | 950 | $94,850 | $61,990 | $140,460 | $72,355 | $80,252 |
| Alabama | 890 | $93,800 | $58,100 | $132,330 | $70,959 | $79,888 |
| Nevada | 840 | $93,600 | $68,400 | $131,910 | $74,678 | $74,693 |
| Florida | 4,760 | $93,180 | $52,810 | $138,770 | $74,382 | $71,927 |
| Kansas | 460 | $92,960 | $59,940 | $144,570 | $69,840 | $77,541 |
| North Dakota | 190 | $92,280 | $59,530 | $138,960 | $73,209 | $82,295 |
| Alaska | 530 | $91,700 | $64,150 | $138,530 | $73,070 | $71,386 |
| Missouri | 1,520 | $90,420 | $54,760 | $126,590 | $69,128 | $76,118 |
| Montana | Not published | $89,920 | $64,250 | $123,110 | $68,369 | $72,237 |
| Vermont | 170 | $89,560 | $61,400 | $110,930 | $68,429 | $69,855 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,120 | $89,180 | $60,070 | $134,710 | $68,768 | $70,479 |
| Idaho | Not published | $89,020 | $62,820 | $113,610 | $67,846 | $71,047 |
| Arizona | 1,560 | $88,990 | $61,790 | $164,410 | $69,603 | $69,135 |
| Ohio | 2,100 | $85,270 | $51,030 | $134,370 | $66,909 | $72,121 |
| Mississippi | 1,170 | $85,120 | $46,500 | $88,100 | $66,039 | $75,948 |
| New Mexico | 600 | $83,750 | $55,500 | $128,940 | $64,975 | $70,463 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $81,640 | $47,880 | $124,870 | $66,264 | $71,489 |
| North Carolina | 4,120 | $81,070 | $26,170 | $134,780 | $63,137 | $66,935 |
| Iowa | 950 | $79,180 | $54,060 | $128,520 | $62,176 | $70,846 |
| New Hampshire | Not published | $74,000 | $53,790 | $124,920 | $60,889 | $58,454 |
| Illinois | 1,280 | $72,540 | $50,640 | $142,410 | $56,416 | $56,440 |
| Michigan | 4,400 | $65,860 | $35,600 | $127,850 | $52,550 | $54,616 |
| West Virginia | 140 | $65,320 | $46,330 | $123,320 | $52,562 | $58,731 |
| South Dakota | 70 | $58,240 | $47,670 | $106,820 | $48,976 | $55,286 |
| Puerto Rico | 920 | $51,310 | $31,980 | $100,110 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 15-1251. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.